The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has disbursed over N1.08 billion to support the education of 5,381 student nurses and midwives across 21 federal and state institutions in Nigeria.
The intervention, according to the Fund, is aimed at reducing financial barriers to professional training while helping to strengthen the country’s future healthcare workforce.
NELFUND disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by Oseyemi Oluwatuyi, Director, Strategic Communications, noting that funding for nursing and midwifery education had increased significantly over three academic sessions.
According to the Fund, disbursements rose from N59.4 million in the 2023/2024 academic session to N205.8 million in 2024/2025 and N811.9 million in 2025/2026, representing an almost 14-fold increase over the period.
The beneficiaries are drawn from nursing institutions across the country, including the Oyo State College of Nursing, Shehu Sule College of Nursing, Lagos State College of Nursing, Ogun State College of Nursing, Katsina State College of Nursing and Midwifery, Kebbi State College of Nursing, Cross River State Colleges of Nursing, as well as institutions in Bauchi, Anambra, Kaduna, Taraba, Zamfara and the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking on the development, NELFUND Managing Director and Chief Executive, Akintunde Sawyerr, said the intervention was not merely about providing financial assistance but investing in the human capital required for Nigeria’s development.
Sawyerr said, “Every student we keep in school represents a future professional, a future healthcare worker and a potential contributor to the development of our nation.”
He said the sharp increase in funding demonstrated what could be achieved when financial barriers were removed for young Nigerians determined to acquire professional qualifications.
The NELFUND chief executive also noted that the intervention was particularly significant because it was reaching thousands of young women pursuing nursing and midwifery.
According to him, supporting their education would create opportunities for professional advancement, economic independence and greater participation in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Executive Director, Operations, NELFUND, Mustapha Iyal, said the Fund remained committed to ensuring the seamless and timely delivery of financial support to eligible students.
He said the objective was to enable more young Nigerians to acquire the skills and qualifications required by the country.
NELFUND noted that nursing and midwifery remain among Nigeria’s most female-dominated health professions, with the majority of beneficiaries of the intervention being young women.
The Fund said the programme therefore represented both an investment in education and a pathway to increased economic and professional opportunities for Nigerian women.
It added that the latest figures reinforced its broader mandate of ensuring that financial circumstances did not prevent eligible Nigerians from accessing and completing higher education.
NELFUND said that as demand for student financing continues to grow, it would focus on expanding access while ensuring that its interventions translate into meaningful opportunities for students and the nation.
